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They wouldn’t want to risk losing a drop, much less a whole aquifer.
    “What about on the other side of town?” Christa asked. “Couldn’t you have routed the highway there?”
    “Taking the highway in that direction makes the route longer and adds to the expense,” he said. “Our goal was to shorten the distance to the city and to do so as economically as possible.”
    “And we end up paying the cost.” But she sat down, still frowning. Ryder’s heart sank. So much for him winning her over.
    The questions wound down. “I think that’s all we have time for,” the principal concluded.
    “If you have any more questions, you can catch me around town,” Ryder said. “If I don’t know the answer, I’ll find someone who does.”
    As people moved out of the auditorium, he left the stage and slipped past a pair of men who looked as if they wanted to waylay him. Christa stood with her back to him, talking with her curly-headed friend. “He doesn’t care about the people here,” she said. “It’s all cold logic to him. Just the facts, ma’am.”
    The words stung. He could have argued that basing decisions on facts and logic was more sensible than following blind emotion, but she wouldn’t have listened. He needed more time to win her over to his point of view. He intercepted her as she stepped into the aisle. “You asked good questions tonight,” he said. “I wanted to talk to you more—maybe over coffee?”
    “I don’t know.” Her gaze slid sideways, avoiding him. “My parents...”
    “Your parents will be snug in bed, watching crime dramas,” her curly haired friend said. “I know because they’re just like my mom.”
    “Kelly, have you met Ryder? Ryder, this is Kelly Jepson.” Christa made the introduction.
    Ryder nodded to Kelly, but focused on Christa once more. “It’s just coffee,” he said, wanting to reassure her, in case she suspected him of ulterior moments. “I’m just trying to avoid going back to my empty apartment. I’m not a fan of crime dramas.”
    This admission earned him the hint of a smile. “All right. But where can we get coffee this time of night?”
    “The Blue Bell stays open late on Thursdays,” Kelly volunteered. “The Lions Club used to meet then, and after they changed their meeting time, Etta Mae just kept the same hours.”
    “The Blue Bell it is,” he said. “Should I drive?”
    “I’ll meet you there,” she said, and left before he could protest.

CHAPTER THREE
    B EFORE EXITING THE school parking lot, Christa called home to check with her parents. As Kelly had predicted, they were watching TV. “I thought I’d stay and have coffee with a friend,” she said. Though her parents knew Ryder, she didn’t want them jumping to conclusions. This wasn’t a date—they were merely continuing their discussion about the highway project.
    “Have a good time,” Dad said. “You have your key to let yourself in.”
    “Yes.” Later, she’d give her dad a hard time about not warning her that Ryder was the highway engineer. At least that explained how Ryder knew so many people in town; he’d been schmoozing the locals, winning them over to his side. Her dad had probably thought it was a good joke to play on his daughter.
    “All right then. Good night.”
    She ended the call, fighting a nervous flutter in her stomach. Maybe agreeing to meet up with Ryder had been a bad idea. He’d been so warm and charming in the meeting, but were those emotions real, or merely a show to get what he wanted?
    Ryder was waiting in front of the Blue Bell when she parked a few doors down. It looked as if a good number of people who had attended the highway forum had retired to the café for coffee and pie. “Just sit anywhere,” the waitress said when they entered.
    Ryder escorted her to a booth along one wall, his hand resting very lightly against her upper back, guiding her through the crowd. The warmth of his hand through her dress made her heart beat a little faster.